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P. McCarthy Veach et al., Facilitating the Genetic Counseling Process,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74799-6_5
Chapter 5
Gathering Information: Asking Questions
Learning Objectives- Distinguish among different types of questions.
- Identify the functions of questions in genetic counseling.
- Describe culturally sensitive ways to ask questions.
- Develop questioning skills through self-reflection, practice, and feedback.
5.1 Obtaining Information from Patients
An essential component of genetic counseling is obtaining information about patient
situations in order to assess their reasons for seeking genetic counseling; the deci-
sions, if any, they wish to make; and factors that are relevant to their situations.
Questioning also aids in diagnosis and risk assessment. Questioning is an important
skill for eliciting these types of information. In the first part of this chapter, we
define questioning skills and discuss effective and ineffective questioning strategies.
Later in the chapter, we discuss a specific type of information-gathering activity—
collecting information about patient histories.
5.1.1 Types of Questions
The most direct way to gather information from patients is by asking questions. Two
broad categories of questions that are appropriate in genetic counseling are closed-
ended and open-ended questions.
Closed-ended questions are questions patients can easily answer with a “yes,”
“no,” or one- or two-word response. Typically closed questions begin with forms of
the verb “to be”: “When did...,” “Is it...,” “Do you...,” and “Are they...?” (Danish